Fibre broadband network reaches half of Scotland 

One of the key and challenging industry dynamics of UK gigabit broadband roll-outs has been the worry that networks are rolled out primarily in large metropolitan areas. But after spending more than £435m on full-fibre links in the country, with 1.45 million properties now able to upgrade and take-up at ahead of the UK average 38%, UK broadband provider Openreach has stated that half of Scottish homes and businesses in some of the hardest-to-reach places can now get connected to gigabit broadband.

In October 2023, the UK’s leading broadband provider announced that it was able to offer full-fibre broadband access to more than a million homes and businesses in the country, with deployment in the smaller locations at the forefront.

At the end of 2024, it revealed that it had been engaged to build a full-fibre network on the historic island of Iona as part of the Scottish government’s Reaching 100% (R100) programme, which has to date seen more than £600m taxpayer investment.

Openreach said that around 30% of the new fibre footprint is in rural areas, with around 100,000 of the hardest-to-reach properties upgraded through work with the Scottish government and other public sector partners. Islanders in Tiree, Iona and Mull are among the latest to be connected through the R100 rollout.

The new fibre network now reaches more than 64,000 Scottish business premises; 1,500 education establishments, 900 hospitals, GP and dental practices; 590 care and nursing homes; 1,400 church and village halls; and 160 emergency and rescue services buildings.

Work is continuing in other cities, towns and villages, including Inverness, Perth, Helensburgh, Gourock and Castle Douglas, with commercial build set to start in the island capitals of Lerwick, Kirkwall and Stornoway later in 2025. 

The benefits of such deployment were clear, said Openreach, which cited research from the Centre for Economics and Business Research showing the fibre roll-out could deliver a £4.38bn boost to the Scottish economy by 2029. CEBR economists added that it could attract an extra 27,399 new residents to Scotland, mostly in low-density regions, and bring about an increase of 17,809 home-based workers.

Commenting on the deployment, Scottish government’s minister for business, Richard Lochhead, said: “This is a significant milestone in the mission to deliver faster, more reliable broadband to homes and businesses across Scotland. In today’s world, fast, reliable broadband isn’t just a convenience – it’s a necessity for many individuals and businesses.

“That’s why we’re committed to extending coverage through public sector investment while continuing to encourage commercial build. We will continue to work with Openreach to deliver access to faster broadband where it is needed most – in rural and island communities.”

Katie Milligan, Openreach chief commercial officer and chair of its Scotland Board, added: “Fast, reliable connectivity is a game-changer in every part of Scotland. It fuels economic growth and can support the redistribution of economic activity to less populated areas.

“This is quite simply one of the most significant infrastructure upgrades Scotland will see this century. We’re paving the way to future job creation, remote work, digital learning and innovative healthcare access.”